It is well known that in an emergency situation involving human beings such, for example, as automobile accidents or other traumatic medical events, the airways of human beings can become occluded as a result of vomiting or an influx of bodily fluids which can deposit large particulate matter into the patient's airway. Paramedics and hospital technicians (caregivers) must clear the patient's airway of the fluids and/or solids in these emergency situations. If such is not done the patient will be asphyxiated because the airway is blocked preventing oxygen from entering the lungs.
To clear the airway of the fluids or solids in these emergency situations it is common to utilize a catheter typically in the form of an elongated hollow tube which is inserted into the patient's mouth and throat to withdraw the undesired materials. However, the catheters currently in use are incapable of removing the large airway occluding particles. As a result the caregiver first attempts to remove the large airway occluding particles manually, for example, by positioning his/her fingers into the mouth and oropharynx to withdraw these large particles. Such activity is undesirable because the patient may spasm causing injury to the fingers of the caregiver or alternatively the fingers may inject bacteria or other undesirable foreign elements into the mouth of the patient. These techniques thus meet with less than optimal results. Mortality of patients who aspirate gastric contents (vomit) can approach 75% or more due to the destructive effects on pulmonary tissue, infections, atelectasis and obstructive hypoxia.
The present invention was made with these effects and mitigation directly addressed. This device is designed to facilitate rapid decontamination and evacuation of the super-epiglottic oropharyngeal, buccal regions of the airway by virtue of its shape, mechanical function and integrated large bore suction. The caregiver can use the device to first reach deeply into the oropharynx with simultaneous suctioning or without suctioning and scoop out undesired airway occluding matter and if desired with simultaneous suctioning. The spoon like shape of the device allows for either shallow or deep displacement and suctioning of the upper airway thereby facilitating more complete and effective airway clearance.
The instrument of the present invention is specially suited for the removal of large airway-occluding particles and fluids from the oropharynx from the mouth opening to near the epiglottis. The device is a thickened spoon like apparatus with incorporated suction tubing and an ovular fenestration/orifice at the spoon's tip to facilitate the removal of emesis (vomitus), large particulate matter, both viscous/non-viscous from the airway of a patient. The ovular fenestration/orifice at the device's tip is larger and designed as a collector for the smaller incorporated suction orifice within it. The instrument is to be attached to a remote suction device of types well-known to the art through the use of a reducing adapter. When compared to other airway suction devices, this device is particularly desired to assist in the manual/mechanical removal of undesirable material as well as with remote suction assistance. The distal one-third of this instrument's construction is spoon like in nature to facilitate compliance and therapeutic function within a human airway. The distal and ovular fenestration and incorporated suction tubing are of an especially large bore to facilitate the removal of large particulate matter and fluids of varying viscosities contaminating the airway. An orifice is also optional and installed in the lateral aspect to the device's handle to enable a user to defer suction from the tip if necessary. The device is optimally a one time use and disposable instrument but can also be constructed of a reusable autoclavable piece, if an acceptable material is used.
The catheter of the presentation invention is preferably constructed from molded plastic materials strong enough at the distal spoon shaped end to scoop chunks of material from the patient's mouth and oropharynx, yet along the length thereof displaced from the spoon-like end, flexible enough or pliable to be bent. In accordance with one feature of the present invention a stylet in the form of a pliable piece of aluminum or similar material may be carried by the elongated portion or handle area of the catheter. This will allow the catheter to be bent and held into position so the tip of the catheter can be placed in the oropharynx and the shaft of the catheter can then be placed at the side of the patient's mouth with the proximal portion of the catheter bent out of the caregiver's way. This will allow the catheter to continue to suction while the caregiver performs other operations.